Salam warahmatullah..
I seldom write on myself, what am I doing at Manchester, and even at home..But I just noticed that some others are reading my blog to know my current activities simply because they can't access Friendster or Facebook..My Cousins, Abang-abang, and kakak-kakak..( They are already 30's, busy working and busy with anak-anak, Friendster and Facebook are just not in the list to surf )..so I guess I should write some bits on myself..
I'm at Manchester, at the moment. Just arrived from Malaysia last week.3 weeks in Malaysia is obviously not enough to satisfy all the desires which have been kept deep in heart for the last one year. Yet, to reject the offer from Cohens Chemist is a total waste, why not working, gain some pocket money and exposures?Plus, I might have some problems with the coming JPA allowance coz I've just sent the exam result, hope not..I didn't purposely delay it, what for?The result arrived late at home!..
Pharmacy Summer Placement is a special programme designated for Pharmacy students in the UK.During summer holiday, the pharmacy students can apply for placements at numerous community pharmacies such as Boots, Lloyds, Rowlands, Cohens,Co-Op, etc..some might apply to hospital and pharmaceutical companies but the places are very-very limited..I did apply to Boots as what most others did, since it offers the most places, yet I was rejected!!..It was quite frustrating since me ( and others ) spent plenty of time trying to figure out good answers for all the short-essay questions in the application form..However Alhamdulillah, Cohens unexpectedly call me for an interview,and offered me a place about a month later. Thanks Allah that I've got Stockport!..Boots would just campak the students to all over branches around UK, while Stockport is just one hour from Manchester!..
On Friday before placement starts, I visited the chemist. It took about one hour plus from Rusholme,the place I'm currently residing, so means, I need to get out by 7.30 am in the morning!..The Pharmacy manager was not there since she was on holiday, only the locum pharmacists, pre-reg student, Counter Assistant,and dispenser were present. They were ( and still ) very nice, the dispenser even showed me the space which I can use to pray...
Cohens Chemist, Branch No 027, Cheadle Heath, Stockport..
Monday, 07/07/08.
Quite an embarassing start. I arrived at 9.10 am,simply because I missed the bus!..But everyone seemed to understand the condition of a new worker ( kalau kat Malaysia sure kena sindir habis-habisan )..I met the pharmacy manager, Sarah Thomstone. She's nice, cute, and pretty too. She showed me all parts of the pharmacy, including the dispensary and the staff room. Cohens' head office at Bolton then rang Sarah to see either I turn up or not, and asked for my training contract. Ops, what's that?I just had an offer letter which was sent before Easter. Apparently, they sent a pack of training and employment contract to my previous student address. My bad, not telling them that I moved out last month! But the supply from Head Office Warehouse would arrive everyday, so they'd just dispatch a copy of the contract along. I was taught to do all sorts of job today, which include checking the invoice of new stock,putting medicines on shelves, labelling, and dispensing. It was quite busy in the pharmacy. Cheadle Heath Surgery is just a few door away, so patients would come with their prescriptions to this pharmacy after seeing their GPs ( General Practitioners ). Even without any patient coming, Sarah and the dispenser are still occupied, dispensing prescriptions for delivery. Cohens Chemist offers Repeat Prescription and Free Delivery. The pharmacy staff would collect the prescriptions from the GPs ( Cheadle Heath Surgery ), dispense the scripts, and deliver to the patients, for free. Thus, patients do not need to come to GPs to collect their scripts, and have their medicines delivered to their doorsteps. This applies to those who require regular medication, eg weekly, or monthly. What a good service, improves compliance...Someone asked me about praying in the pharmacy. Well, at first I thought of using a space in dispensary area during lunch break since everyone would be in staff room, but Sarah then offered Consultation Room. Bagus kan?I really love my first day, albeit tiredness made me sleep at 10 pm..
Tuesday, 8/7/08
I think I started to handle all incoming supplies today. The pharmacy received supplies from two main warehouse : The Head Office Warehouse at Bolton, and Unichem at Preston. Unichem would normally send stock twice : Morning and evening. I need to check the invoice,putting them on shelves, and alert Sarah if owing items arrive. Owing items are medicines that were unavailable for patients on the previous day and have just been ordered, so patients need to return to collect them. I know this job is quite boring and very tedious, it takes such a long time just to empty all the arrived containers. But this is one good way to know the medicines and their locations. Well at least I've got to know some very popular medicines..Simvastastin,Artovastatin,Lanzoprazole,Omeprazole,Levothyroxine,Amlodipine,Amytryptaline, Persantin Retard,Ipatropium bromide inhaler, Betnovate cream....and the list goes on and on..
Wednesday, 9/7/08
I received the training contract module today, just aware of what actually I'm going to do in these 8 weeks. I am hired to work at the dispensary, but at the same time, Cohens fund me to follow a course named : Counterpart Pharmacy Assistant Development Course. There are 15 modules to be completed, incompletion will cause me to fund the course myself. If I qualify, I am entitled to Medicines Counter Assistant, which authorize me to sell and suggest Over The Counter ( OTC ) products to patients. Sounds `WOW', but there's just too much to read. I've just finished one module,to date..
I've found the most expensive medicines, I ever encounter today. It was Sodium Bicarbonate solution, 100 ml cost 114 POUNDS, and the patient was given 3 bottles! And to my surprise, that patient did not pay at all coz she's exempted, she's above 60 and apparently pay 0 cent for her medication. According to the script, that solution is used to dissolve Omeprazole capsules. Sarah just dispense it coz that's was prescribed by the GP, and they noted that the item is expensive, but they don't care so much on the cost : The Prescription Pricing Authority will pay. Omeprazole is not usually taken that way, this lady might be one of special case..Oh Ya, the pharmacy is closed at 6 today ( normally 6.30 ), so Mo, the pre-reg student, offered me a lift..I arrived home half an hour earlier than usual, to find out that the dinner was ready, Thanks Linda & Kak Atun!!..
Thursday, 10/7/08
I started to be at the counter today, but I can't do any selling even for non-medicines product coz I have no security barcode for cash register. I would read through the module, hoping that I would remember all the details to answer the questions ( which I'm afraid, is not the case at the moment ). When patients come with scripts, I would check the details, ask them to sign, and give the scripts to the dispensary. Mo will usually do the labelling and dispensing, Sarah will do the final check and issue the medicines to patient. She would give some advices on the medications if necessary. I noticed that so many patients are exempted, means they don't have to pay at all even if they have 10 items on their scripts!..under 16, full education, expecting and new mothers,above 60, patients with income tax support, job seekers, NHS Tax Exemption Certificate..banyaknya NHS ( National Health Service ) bayar untuk ubat!..Even if they have to pay, one item only costs them 7.10 Pounds, even for very expensive item such as Sodium Bicarbonate Solution just now. At the end of the month, pharmacies will send all the scripts to Prescription Pricing Authority ( PPA ), to get reimbursed of the actual price.You can see that there's no competition of price between pharmacies, they'll get the same payments for the same items from PPA..Patutlah kalau NHS tak ada, ramai orang marah dan berdemonstrasi..
Friday,11/7/08..
A lady came with a script for Compression Hosiery.She seemed to be a regular customer. Mo called her to the consultation room to get her leg measured, and took me along.I'm not sure for whar reason was she prescribed the hosiery, but according to the product's description, that hosiery was supposed to control severe varicous vein and moderate oedema ( please google for further details ).Oh gosh,luckily my face did not turn surprise upon looking at her leg otherwise she might feel insulted. A person might have kulit yang sangat cerah, sampai nampak segala vein dan arteri ( salur darah ). That lady too ( obviously, she's English ). But the scratch of green veins are everywhere, not smooth. Boleh nampak garisan-garisan hijau di merata-rata, ada dekat pergelangan kaki, ada dekat atas sikit, ada bawah lutut. Her blood vessels might be blocked, somewhere. Embolism maybe ( not sure, medico please correct ). Compression hosiery is just to help with the problem, like wearing a tight stocking from toe to below knee cap to give an effect to the blood vessel.But that lady seemed fine with that condition, even making joke out of it..I slept late that night, it's weekend!!!..
Weekend..
Bahagianya..wake up at 9, takyah kejar bas, takyah prepare lunch pack, tengok movie dengan Kak Atun dan Kak Zy..surf here and there..
Monday 14/7/08
Not really a good day. Still in weekend mood. Not much can be done today. Few deliveries, few incoming supply. Spent some time reading the second module. Christ, the Counter Assistant was there to help me, since Sarah was always occupied.Chris tried to answer the questions in the workbook. No Chris, don't tell me the answers, I'm suppose to answer myself!..It wasn't really a good day, no mood, keep looking at the clock. I need to work until 6.30 pm for two weeks, coz on Tuesday I need to take a half day off, have some matters to be sorted out..Redha sajalah..nak gaji punya pasal..
Hmm..shall come with more updates soon. Might write everyday if I encounter some other interesting situation..
Cheers, mate!..
Terima kasih.Full Stop. Wassalam..
p/s : National Insurance Interview in half an hour..permudahkanlah, kalau tak lambat dapat gajilah aku bulan nih..
Quite an embarassing start. I arrived at 9.10 am,simply because I missed the bus!..But everyone seemed to understand the condition of a new worker ( kalau kat Malaysia sure kena sindir habis-habisan )..I met the pharmacy manager, Sarah Thomstone. She's nice, cute, and pretty too. She showed me all parts of the pharmacy, including the dispensary and the staff room. Cohens' head office at Bolton then rang Sarah to see either I turn up or not, and asked for my training contract. Ops, what's that?I just had an offer letter which was sent before Easter. Apparently, they sent a pack of training and employment contract to my previous student address. My bad, not telling them that I moved out last month! But the supply from Head Office Warehouse would arrive everyday, so they'd just dispatch a copy of the contract along. I was taught to do all sorts of job today, which include checking the invoice of new stock,putting medicines on shelves, labelling, and dispensing. It was quite busy in the pharmacy. Cheadle Heath Surgery is just a few door away, so patients would come with their prescriptions to this pharmacy after seeing their GPs ( General Practitioners ). Even without any patient coming, Sarah and the dispenser are still occupied, dispensing prescriptions for delivery. Cohens Chemist offers Repeat Prescription and Free Delivery. The pharmacy staff would collect the prescriptions from the GPs ( Cheadle Heath Surgery ), dispense the scripts, and deliver to the patients, for free. Thus, patients do not need to come to GPs to collect their scripts, and have their medicines delivered to their doorsteps. This applies to those who require regular medication, eg weekly, or monthly. What a good service, improves compliance...Someone asked me about praying in the pharmacy. Well, at first I thought of using a space in dispensary area during lunch break since everyone would be in staff room, but Sarah then offered Consultation Room. Bagus kan?I really love my first day, albeit tiredness made me sleep at 10 pm..
Tuesday, 8/7/08
I think I started to handle all incoming supplies today. The pharmacy received supplies from two main warehouse : The Head Office Warehouse at Bolton, and Unichem at Preston. Unichem would normally send stock twice : Morning and evening. I need to check the invoice,putting them on shelves, and alert Sarah if owing items arrive. Owing items are medicines that were unavailable for patients on the previous day and have just been ordered, so patients need to return to collect them. I know this job is quite boring and very tedious, it takes such a long time just to empty all the arrived containers. But this is one good way to know the medicines and their locations. Well at least I've got to know some very popular medicines..Simvastastin,Artovastatin,Lanzoprazole,Omeprazole,Levothyroxine,Amlodipine,Amytryptaline, Persantin Retard,Ipatropium bromide inhaler, Betnovate cream....and the list goes on and on..
Wednesday, 9/7/08
I received the training contract module today, just aware of what actually I'm going to do in these 8 weeks. I am hired to work at the dispensary, but at the same time, Cohens fund me to follow a course named : Counterpart Pharmacy Assistant Development Course. There are 15 modules to be completed, incompletion will cause me to fund the course myself. If I qualify, I am entitled to Medicines Counter Assistant, which authorize me to sell and suggest Over The Counter ( OTC ) products to patients. Sounds `WOW', but there's just too much to read. I've just finished one module,to date..
When I first arrived everyone called me `Siti' coz Cohens did not put my middle name..no no call me Nadiah, that sounds better :)..
I've found the most expensive medicines, I ever encounter today. It was Sodium Bicarbonate solution, 100 ml cost 114 POUNDS, and the patient was given 3 bottles! And to my surprise, that patient did not pay at all coz she's exempted, she's above 60 and apparently pay 0 cent for her medication. According to the script, that solution is used to dissolve Omeprazole capsules. Sarah just dispense it coz that's was prescribed by the GP, and they noted that the item is expensive, but they don't care so much on the cost : The Prescription Pricing Authority will pay. Omeprazole is not usually taken that way, this lady might be one of special case..Oh Ya, the pharmacy is closed at 6 today ( normally 6.30 ), so Mo, the pre-reg student, offered me a lift..I arrived home half an hour earlier than usual, to find out that the dinner was ready, Thanks Linda & Kak Atun!!..
Thursday, 10/7/08
I started to be at the counter today, but I can't do any selling even for non-medicines product coz I have no security barcode for cash register. I would read through the module, hoping that I would remember all the details to answer the questions ( which I'm afraid, is not the case at the moment ). When patients come with scripts, I would check the details, ask them to sign, and give the scripts to the dispensary. Mo will usually do the labelling and dispensing, Sarah will do the final check and issue the medicines to patient. She would give some advices on the medications if necessary. I noticed that so many patients are exempted, means they don't have to pay at all even if they have 10 items on their scripts!..under 16, full education, expecting and new mothers,above 60, patients with income tax support, job seekers, NHS Tax Exemption Certificate..banyaknya NHS ( National Health Service ) bayar untuk ubat!..Even if they have to pay, one item only costs them 7.10 Pounds, even for very expensive item such as Sodium Bicarbonate Solution just now. At the end of the month, pharmacies will send all the scripts to Prescription Pricing Authority ( PPA ), to get reimbursed of the actual price.You can see that there's no competition of price between pharmacies, they'll get the same payments for the same items from PPA..Patutlah kalau NHS tak ada, ramai orang marah dan berdemonstrasi..
Friday,11/7/08..
A lady came with a script for Compression Hosiery.She seemed to be a regular customer. Mo called her to the consultation room to get her leg measured, and took me along.I'm not sure for whar reason was she prescribed the hosiery, but according to the product's description, that hosiery was supposed to control severe varicous vein and moderate oedema ( please google for further details ).Oh gosh,luckily my face did not turn surprise upon looking at her leg otherwise she might feel insulted. A person might have kulit yang sangat cerah, sampai nampak segala vein dan arteri ( salur darah ). That lady too ( obviously, she's English ). But the scratch of green veins are everywhere, not smooth. Boleh nampak garisan-garisan hijau di merata-rata, ada dekat pergelangan kaki, ada dekat atas sikit, ada bawah lutut. Her blood vessels might be blocked, somewhere. Embolism maybe ( not sure, medico please correct ). Compression hosiery is just to help with the problem, like wearing a tight stocking from toe to below knee cap to give an effect to the blood vessel.But that lady seemed fine with that condition, even making joke out of it..I slept late that night, it's weekend!!!..
Weekend..
Bahagianya..wake up at 9, takyah kejar bas, takyah prepare lunch pack, tengok movie dengan Kak Atun dan Kak Zy..surf here and there..
Monday 14/7/08
Not really a good day. Still in weekend mood. Not much can be done today. Few deliveries, few incoming supply. Spent some time reading the second module. Christ, the Counter Assistant was there to help me, since Sarah was always occupied.Chris tried to answer the questions in the workbook. No Chris, don't tell me the answers, I'm suppose to answer myself!..It wasn't really a good day, no mood, keep looking at the clock. I need to work until 6.30 pm for two weeks, coz on Tuesday I need to take a half day off, have some matters to be sorted out..Redha sajalah..nak gaji punya pasal..
Hmm..shall come with more updates soon. Might write everyday if I encounter some other interesting situation..
Cheers, mate!..
Terima kasih.Full Stop. Wassalam..
p/s : National Insurance Interview in half an hour..permudahkanlah, kalau tak lambat dapat gajilah aku bulan nih..
